YEAST WASHING Help!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
J

Jayfro21

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
267
Reaction score
2
Location
San Diego
Hi all,

I am going to wash my WLP 500 yeast tomorrow, and I am boiling my mason jars right now. The only issue I have is that I only have the smaller mason jars and no big jar, so this is what I plan to do. I am going to sanitize 8 mason jars, and then when I wash I will first fill 5, then let it settle for 20 min and use those 5 to fill up the remaining 3. I don't need more than 3 jars.

How does this sound? Will it work ok? Other suggestions? Thanks!

Jason
 
It will work but my suggestion is that between now and tomorrow, you get a big jar or other big glass or plastic container. A big plastic jug and sanitize by sloaking in a clorox solution for 1/2 hour and rinse with hot water should be good enough. That way you put yeast in five or even all eight mason jars.

BTW, I assume you were speaking of 1 pint or less for your 8 mason jars. You just said small.
 
KopyKat said:
It will work but my suggestion is that between now and tomorrow, you get a big jar or other big glass or plastic container. A big plastic jug and sanitize by sloaking in a clorox solution for 1/2 hour and rinse with hot water should be good enough. That way you put yeast in five or even all eight mason jars.

BTW, I assume you were speaking of 1 pint or less for your 8 mason jars. You just said small.
Click to expand...

Yeah thanks, I think they are 1 pint. I found a larger jar, but no lid, so I will boil the large one tomorrow before I rack, and then let it cool and use it.

Another question: After I let say 5 or 6 of them settle out, can I decant most of the liquid off of them and combine them into 1 or 2? I assume this would be ok as long as I stay sanitary as the yeast slurry falls to the bottom anyways. Thanks!

Jason
 
Sure. You could combine enough to forgo making a starter. Just pitch the amount needed for the beer you are making. For the correct calculation of the amount of slurry you would need - see the Mr Malty calculator.

http://www.mrmalty.com/pitching.php#E

BTW, no need for a lid. Just sanitize a bit of aluminum foil or plastic wrap to cover. I never use a lid on my big container.
 
Use a carboy, you already have one. I make my starter for large batches in a carboy as it is easy to make enough for 2 batches if necessary.
 
Bernie Brewer wrote:

Not. Make a starter.
Click to expand...

Bernie,

What is your reasoning here. If you combine enough to make a slurry that makes the cell count ideal for the batch per Mr Malty calculation, why would you make a starter and overpitch yeast?

Not that overpitching is as bad as underpitching, but yeast do need room for growth to create the flavor profile of the style.
 
KopyKat said:
Bernie Brewer wrote:



Bernie,

What is your reasoning here. If you combine enough to make a slurry that makes the cell count ideal for the batch per Mr Malty calculation, why would you make a starter and overpitch yeast?

Not that overpitching is as bad as underpitching, but yeast do need room for growth to create the flavor profile of the style.
Click to expand...

I think, from what I have read, is that you need to make a starter to gradually wake the yeast after it has spent time dormant in the fridge. Just pitching that yeast into your finished wort will most likely be too great a shock, and have too high a gravity for the yeast.
 
Yes, if your yeast is very old that makes sense. I had assumed, and probably shouldn't have, that he would be repitching using the Mr. Malty calculator which has as part of your calculation the age of the yeast (pick harvest date) which gives the % viability and would give you notice if any starter was needed.

That is what is really nice about the calculator, it takes nearly all factors into consideration.
 
KopyKat said:
Yes, if your yeast is very old that makes sense. I had assumed, and probably shouldn't have, that he would be repitching using the Mr. Malty calculator which has as part of your calculation the age of the yeast (pick harvest date) which gives the % viability and would give you notice if any starter was needed.

That is what is really nice about the calculator, it takes nearly all factors into consideration.
Click to expand...

True, it is important to pitch the correct amount of viable yeast. But when you wash yeast and store it for even a few days in a mason jar in the fridge, that yeast goes dormant. It takes making a starter to go from having that dormant, weaker yeast slurry to having a slurry of healthy viable yeast. I am pretty sure it is a critical step.

Just my 2 cents.
 
I say keep them separate, and make starters. That way for each vial or smack pack you buy, you get about 4-6 jars of washed yeast, to make 4-6 more batches...making a starter first.

that's 5-7 batches off one $7 liquid yeast purchase...cheaper than dry yeast! and if you then washed the 4-6 batches of generation 2 yeast, that's 24-36 jars for 3rd gen :)
 
KopyKat said:
Bernie,

What is your reasoning here. If you combine enough to make a slurry that makes the cell count ideal for the batch per Mr Malty calculation, why would you make a starter and overpitch yeast?

Not that overpitching is as bad as underpitching, but yeast do need room for growth to create the flavor profile of the style.
Click to expand...


My reasoning was that I was REALLY druck when I posted that. Sorry 'bout that.:eek:

I personally don't like the idea of not using starters, but if your pitching calculator works for you, who am I to argue? Have at it!:mug:
 
one really good point here about making a starter is that you know that the yeast you have isnt dead. you cant tell much more than that but at least its something. also it really helps getting your lag time down as we all know is important. BUT now on to topic I use an erlynmyer flask and boil to sanitise about 1000ml of H20 for each 6 gallon batch ( I do 12-14 gallon batches)or each fermenting vessel. and when done transfering my finished beer to 2nd or keg I just pour the 1000 ml of cooled H2O into my primery and swirl to seperate yeast and let sit for 5-10min pour off the top into a mason jar to the top and store in the fridg untill I am ready to make a starter. at that time you can seperate once again and your good to go.
just my way Yuri has a thread on the issue I think with pictures.
JJ
 
Jaybird said:
one really good point here about making a starter is that you know that the yeast you have isnt dead. you cant tell much more than that but at least its something. also it really helps getting your lag time down as we all know is important. BUT now on to topic I use an erlynmyer flask and boil to sanitise about 1000ml of H20 for each 6 gallon batch ( I do 12-14 gallon batches)or each fermenting vessel. and when done transfering my finished beer to 2nd or keg I just pour the 1000 ml of cooled H2O into my primery and swirl to seperate yeast and let sit for 5-10min pour off the top into a mason jar to the top and store in the fridg untill I am ready to make a starter. at that time you can seperate once again and your good to go.
just my way Yuri has a thread on the issue I think with pictures.
JJ
Click to expand...

Yeah I saw that, but the way it is in the Wiki is it goes from fermenting vessel, to large mason jar, to smaller mason jars. I just didn't have a larger mason jar, but I found one, so I will do it the way it is outlined in the Wiki.

By the way, where in Northern California are you located?

Jason
 

Similar threads

gewehr43sniper
Harvesting and reusing yeast?
Replies
4
Views
1K
aceluby
A
khannon
About to can some wort for starters and I had a thought...
Replies
4
Views
436
khannon
khannon
R
Saving yeast
2 3
Replies
108
Views
5K
Miraculix
Miraculix
R
How long can yeast sit in the fermenter
Replies
12
Views
866
odie
odie
R
Reusing Yeast
Replies
27
Views
3K
beren
beren
wps-hbt2

Latest posts

Back
Top